Carolyn and Phil Emms are the owners of Barrine Park Nature Refuge, a property located approximately 55km southwest of Cairns. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary also used for agriculture, and it is Carolyn and Phil’s intent to continue improving the sanctuary’s ability to provide for wildlife with current priorities being continued plantings, the establishment of small wetlands, and providing rocks for reptile species. The biodiversity values of part of the property are protected in-perpetuity through a Nature Refuge Agreement with the Queensland Government, with Carolyn and Phil seeking to have this area expanded to encompass some 50,000 trees that have been planted over the past six years.
The sanctuary covers 43 hectares of partially cleared farmland, Wet Tropics rainforest, and regenerating habitat established by Carolyn and Phil. Wildlife species for which Barrine Park Nature Refuge is known to provide habitat include Wet Tropics species such as southern cassowaries (Casuarius casuarius), wallabies, striped possums (Dactylopsila trivirgata), Boyd’s forest dragons (Hypsilurus boydii), eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), Wompoo fruit doves (Ptilinopus magnificus), double-eyed fig parrots (Cyclopsitta diophthalma), brush turkeys (Alectura lathami), pythons, Lumholtz’s tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) musky rat kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus) and sacred kingfishers (Todiramphus sanctus).
